Registration begins for after-school programs in Fairfield, Suisun Valley – Daily Republic

Registration has opened for the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department’s after-school programs for the new school year.

Priority registration for returning students will begin Thursday and run though Aug. 13. Priority registration is for students who were enrolled in the 2019-20 school year. Each school site has assigned a specific registration date to avoid long wait times.

Contact Lorraine Kennedy, recreation coordinator, at 428-7574 or lkennedy@fairfield.ca.gov to inquire about your school’s registration date, program schedule and fees, or for any other questions.

Source: Registration begins for after-school programs in Fairfield, Suisun Valley

California’s after-school programs still waiting on cannabis tax money – The Reporter

By Brooke Staggs

Supporters of California’s publicly funded After School Education and Safety programs — which educate and care for nearly 500,000 low-income elementary and middle school kids — were encouraged in 2016 when they heard and read the ads that supported the state’s ballot measure to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The good feeling didn’t reflect how they felt about cannabis. It came because the Yes on Proposition 64 campaign told voters — in advertising and in a statement printed on the official statewide ballot  — that one of the first beneficiaries of tax revenue generated by regulated marijuana would be after school programs.

And those After School Education and Safety (ASES) programs really needed the help.

Source: California’s after-school programs still waiting on cannabis tax money – The Reporter

Torlakson Applauds Expanded Learning Leaders – Year 2018 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated the California Department of Education (CDE) 2018 California Expanded Learning award winners.

“Expanded learning programs are an important extension of a student’s typical school day. The programs provide additional academic support, cultural enrichment, and social and emotional learning opportunities,” said Torlakson. “These awards are a way to recognize the talented and dedicated staff who are helping students learn, thrive, and succeed inside and outside the classroom.”

Studies show that expanded learning programs increase student attendance, cut dropout rates, reduce juvenile crime, and boost academic success.

The awards are part of Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide event celebrating the role of afterschool programs in keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn, and helping working families.

Source: Torlakson Applauds Expanded Learning Leaders – Year 2018 (CA Dept of Education)

Tickets available for lobster boil to benefit Fairfield after-school program – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

The deadline to purchase tickets to the Fairfield-Suisun Twilight Rotary Club’s annual Lobster Boil at a discount is Sept. 15.

The lobster boil, now in its sixth year, is a fundraiser for Fairfield’s Fun on the Run after-school nutrition and recreation program.

Fun on the Run is a free, joint venture between the Fairfield Community Services Foundation and the city. The program delivers various recreational and healthy food offerings to children in low-income areas of the community. The program not only operates during the school year, but continues through the summer months.Guests at the event are served a complete lobster dinner, family style, that includes boiled lobster along with boiled vegetables and sausages. The event includes a silent auction, a dessert auction and a live auction.

Source: Tickets, sponsorships available for lobster boil to benefit Fairfield after-school program

Solano 4-H SET program offers teens training workshop – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

High school students are invited to participate in the Solano County 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology program, which offers a chance for teens to engage in community service, learn new skills and experience teaching firsthand.

Program participants will be trained to teach science in teams to elementary-age children in after-school programs.

Training will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday at the 4-H office, 501 Texas St. Teens must attend both days. The deadline to register is Friday.

Source: Solano 4-H SET program offers teens training workshop

Boys & Girls Club to open new space at Jepson – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

At a time when the Trump administration is considering cutting federally funded after-school programs, there is an additional reason this Thanksgiving season to be grateful if you are a Vacaville middle school student or parent of one.

After more than two years of talks, preparation and work, Vacaville Unified, the City of Vacaville, and the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Clubs will open “The Club” at Jepson Middle School.

The space at the Elder Street campus will open its doors Monday after much-needed repairs to a portable classroom that sat vacant for eight years, Anna Eaton, executive director of the clubs, noted in a press release.

Source: Boys & Girls Club to open new space at Jepson

Gov. Brown agrees not to hold back money from California schools next year | EdSource

By John Fensterwald

California school districts won’t have to wait an extra year to get nearly $1 billion in one-time funding, as Gov. Jerry Brown proposed last month. And after-school and summer program providers will see their first funding increase in more than a decade, under the terms of the 2017-18 state budget that legislative leaders and the Brown administration negotiated last week.

The Legislature must pass the proposed $126 billion state budget by Thursday to meet a constitutional deadline. Schools and community colleges will get a sizable share of the funding increase. Funding under Proposition 98, the formula that determines K-12 and community colleges’ share of state revenue, will rise $3.1 billion – 4.4 percent – to $74.5 billion. School districts’ share of the increase will be $2.8 billion.

Source: Gov. Brown agrees not to hold back money from California schools next year | EdSource

State school leader gives fed ed budget proposal a failing grade – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Tom Torlakson, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, Tuesday urged Congress to reject President Trump’s federal education budget proposal, which includes cuts that he described as “deep” to teacher training, after school programs, mental health services, advanced coursework, among others.

“I give this budget an ‘F’ grade for failing public school students in California and across the nation,” Torlakson, who leads the country’s largest public school system with more than 6.2 million students, said in a press release. “We need to invest more in our public schools, not slash away at programs that help students succeed.”

A former East Bay high school science teacher and athletics coach, he noted that the proposed federal education budget heads in a completely different direction than the California approach to education funding.

 

Source: State school leader gives fed ed budget proposal a failing grade

Afterschool running program looking for volunteers – Benicia Herald

By Editor

Girls on the Run, an after-school life-skills and running program in Benicia is looking for two to three positive, energetic women to volunteer at Matthew Turner Elementary School.The life-coach volunteers will use a pre-written curriculum to facilitate discussions, activities and running or walking to a small group of third-to-fifth-grade girls, to bring about a greater sense of self-confidence, health and joy. Topics include the true meaning of beauty from the inside, kindness, eating healthy and stopping gossip, celebrating your uniqueness and how to stand up to bullies.

The season culminates with a non-competitive 5k fun run & a community impact project.Girls on the Run will meet at Matthew Turner Elementary twice a week for 10 weeks after school from March through mid-May, and can only host the program if volunteers jump in to be trained and supported by our fun, healthy organization.

Source: Afterschool running program looking for volunteers

4-H program seeks Solano high school students for training – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Local high school students are invited to join the Solano County 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology program.

Teens will be trained to teach science in teams to elementary school children in after-school programs. Training sessions are from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 19 and 1 to 8 p.m. Nov. 20 at the 4-H office, 501 Texas St.. Teens must participate both days.

Source: 4-H program seeks Solano high school students for training

Solano Community Foundation awards grant to Vallejo after-school program – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Young Vallejo public school children who attend an after-school program will be the beneficiaries of reading clubs thanks to a grant from the Solano Community Foundation.

The Fairfield-based foundation on Thursday announced a first-of-its-kind grant, $6,404, to the Vallejo City Unified School District for its after-school program (ASES), to set up reading clubs for some 750 second-, third- and fourth-graders.

The money was made available through the foundation’s Education Plus! Grant Program and will pay for the purchase of e-book licenses for 11 elementary schools.

The e-books include many nonfiction titles to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning in after-school reading. Students will read the e-books using the iPads the district bought last spring 2016, paid for by City of Vallejo Measure B funds.

 

Source: Solano Community Foundation awards grant to Vallejo after-school program

Buck Foundation shifts $325,000 to Solano Community Foundation – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

The Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation has given $325,000 to be used for education grants by the Solano Community Foundation.

The grants will be available to nonprofits that provide such services as after-school and summer learning programs, the Solano Community Foundation reported Thursday.

Money will be disbursed through the Education Plus! Grant Fund.

Source: Buck Foundation shifts $325,000 to Solano Community Foundation

Summer and after-school programs can promote social and emotional learning | EdSource

By Jennifer Peck and David Plank

When we think of school we too often picture rows of students sitting quietly at their desks, listening to the teacher or reading a textbook. This familiar image of a quiet classroom and docile students is and should be increasingly outdated. The state’s new Common Core and Next Generation science standards require teachers to teach and students to learn in more dynamic ways. They raise the bar for subject-matter knowledge in English, math and science.

These standards also aim to ensure that students engage in deeper learning by focusing on what are sometimes called “the four C’s:” communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. These are skills that are essential for success in today’s job market that cannot be nurtured if students are sitting quietly in rows in the classroom.

California’s new Common Core standards and a growing body of research are driving increased interest in social-emotional learning as an essential component of student success. Without skills like the ability to manage stress, to empathize with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and to engage successfully in the small-group work required for deeper learning, students cannot be successful. And, unless educators work actively to help students develop these skills, schools will not be able to deliver on the broader set of Local Control Funding Formula priorities that the state has adopted, promoting positive and productive school climates.

Source: Summer and after-school programs can promote social and emotional learning | EdSource

New After School Program Award – Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced the winners of a new award, the Distinguished After School Health (DASH) program certificate, which recognizes programs that excel in providing health education, nutrition, and physical activities for their students.

The California Department of Education (CDE) released a list of 187 schools statewide that received the certificate. The list is posted on the CDE Web site and will help parents and students locate and apply to DASH programs in their school districts.

“These terrific after school programs show students the many benefits of good nutrition and exercise and will help our students achieve success,” said Torlakson, who started his public service career as a science teacher and coach. “Students who eat right and stay fit will do better in class.”

In 2014, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) authored SB 949, which required CDE to develop a process for determining DASH standards and recognition. CDE assembled a panel of volunteers to screen the applications for alignment with the goals outlined in Jackson’s legislation.

Source: New After School Program Award – Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

Some after-school program providers say flat funding may cause them to close | EdSource

By Susan Frey

A survey of after-school program providers found that 29 percent of respondents – including large programs such as LA’s BEST and THINK Together – say they are likely to close in the next two years without an increase in the daily reimbursement rate from the state.

More than 86 percent of providers said they were having trouble providing quality staff, and two-thirds said their programs had a waiting list, according to the survey by the Oakland-based advocacy group Partnership for Children & Youth.

Each year, more than 400,000 students in over 4,000 elementary and middle schools participate in these programs, which are located primarily in high-poverty neighborhoods. The programs offer tutoring, sports and enrichment activities such as arts and science projects. They also provide a safe place for elementary and middle school children while their parents are working.

Source: Some after-school program providers say flat funding may cause them to close | EdSource

Some tickets available for lobster feast to benefit after-school program – Daily Republic

By Glen Faison

An outdoors family style lobster feast returns to Fairfield later this month – and it’s not too late to get tickets to the event that supports an award-winning mobile after-school recreation and nutrition program.

The third annual Lobster Boil is a signature event for the Fairfield-Suisun Twilight Rotary Club. Proceeds benefit the city’s Fun on the Run program, which is funded through the Fairfield Community Services Foundation.

Fun on the Run delivers various recreational and healthy food offerings to children in low-income areas of the city.

via Some tickets available for lobster feast to benefit after-school program.

New after-school program for girls introduced in Vallejo, Benicia – Times Herald

By Irma Widjojo

More girls in Vallejo and Benicia will have an opportunity to be a part of an after-school program that promotes health and life skills.

The Napa County-based Girls on The Run is expanding its reach to more Solano County schools for their third to eighth graders.

This school year the program will be offered at Steffan Manor and Grace Patterson elementary schools and Loma Vista Environmental Science Academy in Vallejo. Meanwhile in Benicia, it will be offered at Matthew Turner Elementary School.

Last year, the program was already offered at Steffan Manor and Grace Patterson.

“Two years ago we decided to expand to Solano County,” said April Massett, Solano County coordinator of the program. “We heard from parents and administrators who are familiar with our program that they want to bring it to Solano County.”

The 10-week program prepares the girls for a 5K running event while teaching them life skills by incorporating discussion sessions.

via New after-school program for girls introduced in Vallejo, Benicia.

Flat funding threatens push for quality after-school programs | EdSource

By Susan Frey

Even as California is promoting higher quality standards for its after-school programs, state leaders have rejected a proposal to provide cost-of-living increases for the programs – despite a rising minimum wage, higher employee health care costs and newly mandated sick leave for staff that are putting the squeeze on providers.

Since 2006, when the After School Education and Safety Act was first implemented to provide guaranteed funding for after-school programs, California has invested $550 million each year in after-school programs, more than any other state. But the law limits funding to about $7.50 per pupil each day for a program that must stay open until 6 p.m. on school days and operate a minimum of 15 hours a week.

via Flat funding threatens push for quality after-school programs | EdSource.

After-school, summer program funding threatened | EdSource

By Susan Frey

Advocates for after-school programs will be holding a national summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday to build opposition to a plan to eliminate $1.15 billion in federal funding for after-school and summer programs.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, has proposed ending 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to states. He is the chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. The committee is revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), often referred to as No Child Left Behind, which includes the community learning center funding.

The committee’s revision is expected to be presented to the Senate on April 13, said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., which is taking part in the summit.

via After-school, summer program funding threatened | EdSource#.VRGL3WctHGg#.VRGL3WctHGg.

The Leaven welcomes new board appointments – Daily Republic

By Susan Winlow

The nonprofit after-school program The Leaven welcomes three new directors effective this month.

The new appointees include Chick-fil-A operator Annette Forney; in-service operations director at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom David Zellner; and Mat Fratus, the city of Rialto’s fire chief. The Leaven, which is based in Fairfield, has an active program in Southern California and Fratus is the first board appointment from that area.

Peter Gaudet and Kris Williams will leave the board due to term expiration.

via The Leaven welcomes new board appointments Daily Republic.